We would like to thank all our funders and supporters for their kind donations and letters of support from the start of the social enterprise to the present day …

A big ‘thank you’ to Awards for All/The Big Lottery - for funding the Employment Advice Fair and subsequent advisory sessions in legal, benefits and debt advice which has enabled us to take on a new team member, a qualified solicitor and trained In-Sight trainee, who is delivering confidential free advice helping many many people in issues that are barriers to their recovery and their return to work. This has also enabled our solicitor team member to apply for the first time for her legal practising certificate. Many employment advice sessions have also been delivered, giving individual specialised advice on employment issues: from preparing for interviews, to job-searching and letter and CV writing, as well as exploring how to tell an employer  about past mental health issues.  

The European Social Fund and the Skills Funding Agency, managed by TCHC, granted the social enterprise funds for a Recovery In-Sight training course and supervised office opportunities and job- and job-related skills training in the offices. This has enabled 24 people to access these learning opportunities and has already resulted in many volunteers taking up greater roles within the social enterprise, many of these also management team observer positions. It has also enabled several volunteers to receive paid work opportunities training others within the social enterprise, and enabled others to progress to interview stage applications with local firms, so a real boost towards getting back into work, feeling valued and developing confidence. As well as this, TCHC has also facilitated a Capacity Building grant to the social enterprise for an Investors in People Health & Wellbeing Award to be undertaken during Spring 2012, so a really big “thank you” indeed!

                 

Special thanks to Hertfordshire County Council Adult Care Services Joint Commissioning Team, for funding the In-Sight training and Stevenage bipolar support group from the start of the projects in September 2008. With a 3-year contract until March 2014, many more trainees and group attendees will be able to access these opportunities and derive benefit.

Thanks also to Hertfordshire Workforce Development Partnership,

who funded the initial Training the Trainers courses in

In-Sight in 2008/9,which formed the initial group of trainers!

Special thanks

to the Allen Lane Foundation,

which has enabled us to pay our bills at the Old Free School,

and to co-deliver an In-Sight course next year as well as

job skills training and mentoring voluntary placements in our offices.

Thanks to 10 County Councillors from their Locality Budgets - Mark Watkin, John Lloyd, Matthew Hurst, Audrey Oaten, Nigel Bell, Stephen Giles-Medhurst, Seamus Quilty, Deirdre Anne Gates, Barbara Lamb and Morris Bright - and to a Grassroots Grant administered by Hertfordshire Community Foundation, we have been able to take offices and training facilities at the Old Free School, Watford and to welcome many volunteers to the project.

Thanks also to Hertfordshire Community Foundation for their grant to enable us, jointly with the Allen Lane Foundation, to co-deliver the In-Sight course next year.

Thanks also to the Watford Borough Council’s Annual Fund 2010 which will enable us to purchase the vital office and training equipment so that we can enable people to progress in their office skills and as trainers, as well as provide trainees with professionally-delivered courses.

A big thank you to Mayor of Watford Dorothy Thornhill, for nominating us as the organisation to receive all sponsorship and donations from her Christmas cards in 2010 which will go towards welcoming volunteers to build the capacity of the project. Thank you to all the companies who donated: Harlequin Shopping Centre, Watford Football Club, the Saracens, Sigma Pharmaceuticals, West Herts Golf Club, Freedom Communications, Brasier Freeth, Prince of Bengal, Presence and Geo. Ausden. Thanks also to all the staff at Watford Town Hall who gave from their Charity Card Wall this year.

A huge thank you to MP for Watford Richard Harrington whose kind support and interest in our project has been deeply appreciated by all the team.

And thank you also to the Stevenage Community Trust for their kind donation which will be used for administering and promoting the Stevenage bipolar support group.  

 

 

Thanks also to the Jill Franklin Trust for similarly providing us with the equipment to administer and promote our support group in Watford.

Thanks also to the companies who donated at our launch in April 2010 and our office warming in October 2010: Boots, Neal’s Yard, Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s, Marks & Spencer, and John Lewis in Watford for their recent Xmas donation.

And last but by no means least, a big thank you to the University of Hertfordshire’s FLARE organisers, who enabled us to start off in free offices and training and meeting rooms, as well as provide free running costs and business advice from Ruth Badger, after our win of Best Business Plan in 2009.

All our kind funders and sponsors have made it possible for us to locate in the heart of Watford, at the Old Free School and bring this listed building alive to welcome the community and enable the recovery of people with mental health problems.   Thank you all !

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